slip form stone masonry

hello, am wondering if anyone is familiar with slip form stone masonry... I am contemplating doing it, first building a well pump house, just 10' x 10', then going for a larger project - a 24' x 24' barn / house with an 'old world' look using 4" - 8" granite.

On the larger building, I doubt if I can get engineered plans for any structure made solely out of stone & concrete, so I am thinking it would be better to frame it first with 2x6", then treat the exterior like a 'veneer', wrapping the framework with stucco wire & paper, then putting my slip forms 8" from the wall, fillling with stone facing the outside and holding it in place with the stiff concrete behind it adhereing to the wire, and leapfrogging my forms up as each course sets up.

My big question is, I am wondering if the stucco wire & paper would be strong enough to hold the concrete or should I put plywood on the framework before I wire it?

can't wait to see what anyone else has to say about this method - wickipedia doesn't mention any commercial successful projects so i'm thinking, based on its description, this work's been largely done by ponytail'd hippies & their tie-dyed companions,,, where'd you find this method - mother earth or some other back-to-the-lander magazine ? ? ?

I worked on one project where we did this, about 7 years ago. The lady had more money than she knew what to do with, and I'd estimate that she spent 3-5 times what it would have cost to just wood frame/stone veneer the carriage house.

What we did sounds a little more in-depth though than what you're considering, as we built true 16" deep stone walls, structural, from grade to ceiling. We even used heavy timbers over the windows and garage doors.......

As for you're question about wire, you really need to sheet it first IMO, and plan for an impecable drainage plane between the wood and masonry........

Sorry for oversized photo - had no idea it would appear so large. And thanks for replies - I too have my reservations doing this - although it seems reasonable. Building site is just a few miles from a quarry - I can get 25 tons of 4"-8" granite delivered for less than $600.00.

As for building permit, inspections and resale value, again we're talking wood frame construction with basically an 8" veneer - just applied with slip form rather than slapped on with cement - so why would this method be inferior?

Concrete would be applied one bucket at a time as per photo, slip forms would be 24" & 96".

What does the Cali building code require in regards to an air space between veneer & wood back wall?? (Here, it's 1" minimum with air weeps at top & bottom of wall.) How about water resistent barriers between the two, and base flashing? What is required to adhere the two together??

Let's start here at the beginning, and work from there.............

BTW, if you can resize these pics you're going to get alot more help here. Many participants here will simply skip over a thread like this with enormous pictures, as it's annoying having to scroll over constantly.......

Again, sorry for oversized photos... I have no idea how to resize a photo, especially if it comes from a link.

Regarding the space between the cement & wood backed wall, perhaps a 1" or 2" foam insulation. If the process were done conventionally, in other words, stone wall built first, then framed on the inside for interior finish and insulation, how would an air-vapor barrier be created?

you may have a point - I came up with this slip form method since I know very little about stone masonry, and am trying to capture a 'smooth or flat stone look I figured it would be better to stack the stones next to a form rather than trying to stack them on top of each other using just a level or loose board. the buildings in Italy, France & Spain that I have seen have such a smooth look to it, I am wondering if they grind it smooth.